How it works
Read the reason, then write like a person.
Most giving platforms tell you a gift failed. Almost none tell you why in a way anyone acts on, and the why changes everything about what should happen next.
The reasons, and what each one needs
| What happened | What the giver knows | What actually works |
|---|---|---|
| Card expired | Nothing. They think it's still giving. | Card updater turned on, plus a note 30 days before the expiry date |
| Reissued after fraud | They know their card changed. They forgot the church was on it. | One warm note listing what needs updating. High recovery. |
| Insufficient funds | They may know. It may be a hard season. | Retry timed to a pay cycle. Never a second message. Dignity matters more than the gift. |
| Account closed | They know. | Retries will never work. A human note, and grace if they've moved on. |
| Recurring gift cancelled | They chose this. | Nothing. We flag these so you don't contact them. |
The last row is the one we care most about. A church that treats a deliberate cancellation like a failed card sends a note that reads as pressure to someone who already made a decision. That is how you lose a family instead of a gift. Separating those two groups correctly is most of the work.
The sequence, in your name
- Silent fixes first. Account updater on, retry timing corrected, expiring-card notices scheduled. A share of the list resolves without anyone being contacted at all.
- One note, from the church. Short, warm, no guilt, a link to update. Signed by whoever normally signs your emails. You approve the wording before anything sends.
- A second note, only for card problems. Never for insufficient funds. Never twice to the same person.
- A person, if it's a longstanding giver. Some names on the list have given for a decade. Those deserve a phone call from someone who knows them, not an email.
- Stop. After that, we stop. There is no fourth touch, ever.
What you get each month
A one-page statement: what failed, what recovered, what's still open, which recurring givers lapsed silently, and what it all came to in dollars. Plus the year-end view, so nothing surprises you when statements go out.
Find out what your church is losing
The Giving Checkup, $199. Send one export from your giving platform. We come back with what failed, what quietly stopped, which recurring givers lapsed without cancelling, and what it adds up to over a year. No commitment past that.
Start a Giving CheckupSee how it works